Learning and You (or me, as the case may be)

I really wanted to find the lolcatz photo with the books that says learn me some informashun for this post, but alas, i could not. So as you're reading this post, keep that picture in mind. If you find it, send me a link. I'll give you a cookie.

If you don't know what lolcatz is, go here and watch hours of your life disappear.

In other news, it's official: I'm an existentialist. Or at least, according to Gardner's multiple intelligences test. I am curious about the standard deviation among different versions of the test, because according to this round, I am only half logical.

That is, in part how I learn; or at least why. I guess that's a motivational thing. We have been discussing the different things that influence learning: learning strategies, multiple intelligences, motivations.

I tend to be motivated to learn by a diverse number of things--I don't think any of them are extrinsic, save for social learning, but we will get to that in a moment. Most of my learning is curiosity: wanting to know who Archimedes is or how texting works or etc. etc. Of course, a discussion like this inherently relates to my social sphere, as our curiosities and desires are informed by the people around us. So often times I set out to learn something when someone mentions or references information with which i am unfamiliar.

It's very hard for me to draw the line here between what I want to learn through disposition (nature, if you will) and social pressure (nature). Multiple Intelligences is, to me, the conglomerate of these two ideas: I tend to appreciate bigger questions (existentialism), social relevance and self-improvement (intrapersonal), and writing and discourse (verbal). I'm also definitely a visual learner and writer: show, not tell, as the old adage goes. All of this really means that I find little time for minutia.

I had never heard of the general strategies for processing information, so that is new to me. I have however, spent the last few weeks going through one overrun hard drive on my computer that has acted as a reservoir, and so I am definitely acquainted with the actual practice. It seems redundant to say that I organize information, given that that is the designated function of the brain, but I definitely am a classifier. I rarely rehearse things--I typically am more of an 'in the moment' thinker and speaker. I do elaborate on topics extensively--usually toward the point where two distinct concepts overlap, to create a point of reference, which is usually why I think in terms of philosophies more than functions, and also why I demonstrated a tendency toward existential thinking.

The End.